Process for treating hydrocarbons



Sept. 22, 1931. l.. KlRscl-IBRAUN 1,824,215

PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Original Filed Nov. l, 1922 @dented Sept.` 22, .1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LESTER KIRSCHBRAUN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR. TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

rnocnss 'non 'rBEA'rING HYDROoAnnoNs R S 8 u i Application lediNovember 1, 1922, Serial No. 598,248. Renewed November 25, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in a process for treating hydrocarbons and relates more particularly and has for its obj ect to provide an effective and economical method for crackin petroleum oil.

The sing e figure ofthe drawing is a more or less diagrammatic side elevational view of my apparatus, said elevation being in vertical section.

Referring in detail to the drawing, in the furnace 1 is mounted the heating coil 2, which may take the form 4of an endless coil of say, 3 pipe. This coil is connected to the upper end of an expansion chamber 3 by means of 1s the transfer line 4 in which is interposed a throttle valve 5. The transfer line 4 is `con nected as shown at 6 to the upper end of the expansion chamber and there the heated oil is delivered into the conical chamber 7, formed by the conical Ushell 8, the arrangement being such that the shell 8, which is shown, opens outwardly towards its lower end and the velocity of the vapors is reduced as they pass from the top of the expansion chamber 3 to the lower end thereof. The lower end of this suspended conical shell 8 is provided with an upturned rim 9 formingfa channel portion. As the'oil passes `down through the chamber 8, the residue or unvaporized p0rao tions will drop out and fall through the open-ended ues or tubes 10 supported between the plates 11 and 12. 'The vapors will pass up around the channel 9 and inclined circumferentially extending baiiies 13, 20. and 21 and then out through the vapor pipe 14 -having a throttle valve 15 to the condenser coil 16 and thence to the receiving drum 17,

which drum 17 is provided with gas outletv valve 18 and distillateftlrawoif valve 19.

4.0. The heavier vapors will condense in the upper partofthe expansion chamber 3 out- Y sideof the cone, provided with the bailles 2O vand 21 and the aerial condenser pipe 14 (there may be a plurality of these if-desired) ,or any other suitable form of aerial condenser used.

The rei'ux condensate :will be caught-in the"- channel 9, drawn'of through the pipe 23`hav'- ing throttle valve 24 to the pipe 25, which is connected to the inlet side o the heating coil 2. This reflux condensate, of course, will be relatively hot.

The raw oil to be treated comes from any suitable source of supply through pump 26 and feed line 27 into the chamber 28 formed 55 by the partition plates- 11 and 12 Ahereinbeore referred to. The raw oil passes through this;-V chamber 28 and around the series of'tubes 10,7 thereby cooling the residue and simultaneously preheating the oil. The cooled residue 00 will be drawn off through the chamber 29 formed by the plate 12 and bottom plate 30 and thence by residue drawoff pipe 31,\having valve 32 to a still 33, which may or may not be heated. It is contemplated that in the still es 33, the pressure, if desired, may be`materially reduced relative to the pressure in the expansion chamber l3, which will permit the residue to readily distill because of the reduction of pressure. The vapors ma through vapor pipe 34 havlng throttle valve 35 to condenser coil 36 and thence to receiver 37. Here the distillate, collected in receiver 37, may be drawn off through pipe 38 back to the pump 26, and can be rerun through the'75 system. l

'In carrying out the process, the pressure on the'heating coil, expansion chamber and receiver 17 maybe say, 200. pounds, and the pressure on the still 33v reduced to say, 50 30 pounds.y The oil may be heated to 'a temperature in the coil of say, 800 degs, F. 0r the invention may be carried out by having a pressure of say, 300 pounds -on the heating coil 2, 200 poundspn the expansion chamber alsy 3, and '50 pounds on the still 33. In this case a pump should be introduced into the line 23 f; to force" the hoo reflux condensate back into the coil 2 or suchreuzr condensate may be L talrenv elsewhere to be treated or'such reflux 90 condensate may be delivered into theV still 33, by closing valve 24' thusobviating the necessity of apump. f' i In its broader aspects, the invention isinot limited to the'particular placey fromfwhich 95 l the reflux condensate is drawn or anyj'particular pressure lon any part of the apparatus except that it would be desirable 'to have a higher pressure on the expansion chamber 3 than on the still 33. As a result of the 100,

then pass out process and apparatus here shown, less dificulty with car on will be encountered, thus permitting a greater percentage of the oil to be taken over as pressure distillate and also reducing to a minimum the precipitation of carbon in the reaction zone. This results from the fact that the" oil going down through the cone referred to, more or less in the form of a spray, finds no place on which to deposit'the carbon containing tar until the tar meets the upper end of the relatively cold tubes. Here the tar passes through these tubes and is immediately reduced in temperature suiiiciently to prevent further decomposition; then flows into the lower chamber 29 and is immediately drawn out of the system. It is to be understood that there is a whole nest of these tubes, probably, for example, several hundred-suiicient to insure a maximum surface `opening in the upper plate while-at the same time allowing suficient space between the tubes for the crude oil to pass by and cool them. The arrangement is preferably such as to reduce to a minimum the horizontal surface on which any carbon might deposit and to insure any liquid tar immediately flowing out.

With reference to the residue which is cooled in passing through the tubes 10, it is advantageous to prevent the collection of any substantial accumulation of heated liquid in these tubes, and the cooled residue should be transferred out of the chamber 29 as soon as possible. This, of course, can be governed somewhat by the size and length of the cooling tubes, which cooling tubes may be from 1 or 2 in diameter to say, 6" or more, and the length 'of the tubes from a few feet to 8 or 10 or more. It is to be understood 40 that the size of the tubes will depend on the general construction of the apparatus. It is understood that the apparatus should be equipped with the usual manholes and other means for cleaning and the usual pyrometers, 45. pressure gauges and safety valves.

I claim as my invention:

1. A continuous process for cracking hydrocarbon oil, consisting in raising the oil to a cracking temperaturewhile flowing in a.

50 restricted stream through a heating zone, in delivering the heated oil to an enlarged reaction zone, through which the oil is causedA to flow downwardly and undergo substantial vaporization, in causing vapors released from the oil during' the downward flow of the oil to rise in'an annular stream through said reaction zone, while out of contact with the downiiowing oil, in collecting condensate separated from the vapors rising in said annular stream and in removing the same from said reaction zone, without permitting the Same to contact with'unvaporlzed oil therein, and in returning such condensate to said heating zone, in taking off uncondensed vapors from-said'reaction zone and in subjecting the same to condensatiomand in col-l enlarged reaction zone, to flow downwardly f through the central ortion thereof, in passing vapors released rom the oil in said reaction zone upwardly through the reaction zone in an annular stream, out of contact with the downilowing oil, in collecting condensate separated from the vapors in said annular stream and in removing such condensate from said reaction zone, without permitting the same to commingle with unvaporized oil in the reaction zone, in passing a stream of charging oil in heat interchangerelationshl with unvaporized oil in said reaction zone an in subsequently uniting the charging oil with the condensate which has been removed from the reaction zone, and in supplying the resulting commingled oils to said heating zone, to form the stream advancing therethrough.

3. In processes for cracking high boiling point oils to produce low boiling point oils in which the oil is subjected to pressure distillation in a pressure distillation zone, the pressure distillation zone comprising heating and reaction zones, the oil bein passed first through the heating zone an thence delivered to the reaction zone, vapors and unvaporized oil separately removed from the reaction zone, the vapors subjected to reflux condensation to separate insufficiently cracked fractions, the improvement which comprises lprecl'uding the accucontinuous process for cracking hyit Iis removed from the reaction zone while i under pressure, thence delivering the residue to a zone offlower ressure wherein distillation of the residue 1s effected at the temperay ture to which said residue has been cooled,

tillation zone. 4 i

4. In processes for cracking high boiling point oils to produce low boiling point oils in which the oil is sub'ected to pressure distillation in a pressure distillation zone, the pressure distillation zone comprising heating and reaction zones, the oil being passed rst through the heating zone and thence delivered to the reaction zone, vapors and unvaporized oil separately removed from the reaction zone, the vapors subjected to reflux condensation to separate insuiciently cracked fractions, the improvement which comprises precludin the accumulation of unvaporized residue 1n the reaction zone by removing the residue therefrom as rapidlyI :las

` the oil is heated to a cracking temperature,

thence delivering this restricted stream of oil constituents into a reaction zone, continuously removing vapors, and liquid oil from said reaction Zone without permitting the liquid oil so removed to mingle with the oil of said restricted stream, effecting the removal of the liquid oil at a rate adequate to prevent during normal operation of the process the accumulation of any appreciable v body of oil in such reaction zone, subjecting the vapors evolved from the oil to reflux condensation, returning reiuxcondensate thus derived to said restricted stream, maintain ing a substantial superatmospheric pressure on the oil in said restricted stream and reaction zone, partially cooling the liquid oil removed from said reaction zone to prevent further decomposition and vaporizing from the removed oil by its contained heat a recycle stock by efecting distillation thereof in a zone maintained underl lower pressure than said reaction zone, and returning the recycle stock to the cracking process.

6. The process of cracking petroleum oils which comprises continuously passing the oil in a restricted stream-through a zone wherein the oil is heated to a cracking temperature, thence delivering this restricted stream of oil constituents into a reaction zone, continuously removing vapors, and liquid oil from said reaction zone without permitting the liquid oil so removed to mingle with the oil of said restricted stream, eecting the. removal of the liquid oil at a rate adequate tol prevent during normal operation of the rocess the accumulation of any appreciable ody of oil in such reaction zone, maintaining a substantial superatmospheric pressure on the .oil in said restricted stream and reaction zone, partially coolingthe liquid oil removed from said reaction zone to prevent further decomposition and vaporizing from lthe removed oil by its contained heat a recycle stock by efecting distillation thereo in a zone maintained under lower pressure than said reaction zone, and returning the recycle stock to the cracking process.

LESTER KIRSCHBRAUN. 

